Revitalizing Rural Living Areas and Bridging Urban-Rural Regional Gaps
Enhancing Living Conditions and Creating Jobs to Boost Rural Vitality
Gumi City has been selected for the ‘2023 Rural Agreement’ public contest project organized by the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, securing a project budget of 45 billion KRW (30 billion KRW from the national government and 15 billion KRW from local government).
Among 113 basic local governments that applied, 26 cities and counties recommended by each metropolitan local government underwent a face-to-face evaluation by the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, and finally, 22 cities and counties including Gumi City were selected.
To be selected for the contest, the city organized a dedicated department from January 2021 and discussed development directions with experts from various fields, local residents, and the promotion committee. They also coordinated with National Assembly member Kim Young-sik, city and provincial council members, the Korea Rural Community Corporation, and various administrative agencies to establish a plan for Gumi City’s rural space.
The Rural Agreement project is a program where the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs and local governments sign an agreement to respond to issues such as indiscriminate development and the risk of regional extinction in rural areas. It links and supports necessary projects according to the policy direction set by local governments to promote balanced development of rural areas.
Key projects include ▲ Rural hub revitalization projects supplying education, welfare, culture, and economic services to the rural hubs of Seonsan and Sandong-eup ▲ Basic living base creation projects supplying and delivering services to small villages in Mueul and Jangcheon-myeon ▲ Labor support projects through rural workforce mediation ▲ Regional revitalization projects utilizing idle facilities ▲ Regional resource network construction projects, among others.
The city plans to sign the Rural Agreement after undergoing supplementation and approval procedures for the ‘Rural Spatial Strategy Plan and Living Area Revitalization Plan’ with the Ministry of Agriculture, Food and Rural Affairs, and to invest project funds annually over five years starting in 2024 to promote sustainable balanced development of rural spaces.
National Assembly member Kim Young-sik (Gumi-si Eul) met with ministers, deputy ministers, and working-level directors to persuade them of the urgent need for Gumi City’s Rural Agreement project, stating, “I hope this project will serve as a foundation for improving living conditions in rural areas, and I will continue to devote all my efforts to the balanced development of urban and rural areas in Gumi City.”
Mayor Kim Jang-ho said, “With the Rural Agreement project being implemented over the next five years, the regional gap between urban and rural areas will be resolved, and the living conditions in the central living area centered on Seonsan-eup (Seonsan, Goa, Mueul, Okseong, Dogae) will improve, creating new jobs and revitalizing communities, transforming Gumi into a vibrant and hopeful city.”
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